States have been at the forefront of India's response to the Covid-19 pandemic and now the central government should step up its support, according to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
“The state governments everywhere, by and large, have tried their best to tackle Covid-19. I can tell this out of my own experience,” Gehlot said in an interview with Quintillion Media's Editorial Director Sanjay Pugalia on Rajpath. “States have displayed their performance. Now, it's the turn of the central government to do their bit. The ball is in their court.”
Gehlot urged the Modi government to release funds for states as the nationwide lockdown has battered revenue. “The centre shouldn't have created a situation where states are having to put pressure on them to receive their dues. They should come up with a solution. The approach shouldn't be to pressurise. But we will do it if there's no other option.”
Besides, the senior Congress leader said, the central government should also support states' initiatives to attract investments to jump-start their economies.
The centre needs to empower the state governments.Ashok Gehlot, Chief Minister, Rajasthan
Watch | Ashok Gehlot on how Rajasthan is dealing with the coronavirus crisis.
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